Mrs. Clean lives here....

I have a confession to make.  You might be surprised when you hear it, but I feel I must come clean....literally.  My confession? I LOVE to clean. I have been married 17 years and have gone through 5 vaccums.  When I am frustrated or angry, there's nothing like vaccuming. Nothing can lift one's spirits like seeing the "sunburst" pattern marks on a carpet. (Don't get me started on people who leave "random" lines!)  When there's a good movie on, there's nothing like a pile of ironing.  I love dusting and windex-ing and mopping floors.  The scent of pine-sol makes me happy....if it were a perfume, I'd wear it every day!  Oh, and don't get me started on organizing.  I'm usually known to those around me as "the one with the clean house".  I can't help it, it's genetic.  My mother has always taken pride in a clean, neat, and incredibly decorated home. It was from my mother that I learned to use Pledge because Old English is too greasy.  Or that generic Windex may cost less, but it leaves streaks.  And, of course, Bounty wins hands down in the paper towel category.  When I was younger, I thought it would be cool to work in a hotel cleaning rooms.  Imagine the sense of satisfaction one would have after cleaning 100's of messy rooms.  Of course, now that I'm married with a family, I've pretty much learned what it's like cleaning up 100's of messy rooms.  I don't apologize for my addiction, I embrace it. It is part of what makes me who I am. It's one way of showing my family that I love and care about them. Don't get me wrong, you can love your family just as much with a messy home, and on occasion I've had one. Some have said that cleaning isn't as important as spending time with your kids. I agree. But to me, it is just as easy to be neat as it is to be messy. Cleaning inspires me to do and be my best.  I think my kids have benefitted from seeing me take pride in a job well done, and hopefully they will apply that attitude in their lives. Cleaning may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's mine. (And after that tea, you can bet the cup will be washed with Dawn and put back in the cupboard in proper order!)